UI UX is a crucial aspect of the online world right now; it accounts for user engagement and ultimately influences sales.NGD hosted its Pro competition for the sought-after skill to determine designers with the best hands in this category and amid several submissions, visual critique, and rumbling our spotlight guest Sofiat Amoke emerged as the winner.
So who is the budding Pro UI designer?
Sofiat is a budding UI, UX designer with an amazing eye for creating simple but compelling designs for brands.
She emerged winner of the concluded pro UI competition in the NGD universe. The UI competition by NGD is an awesome avenue for designers with UI skills to showcase their strengths. In this battle, Sofiat Amoke came first with an incredible deliverable classed by the judge as evidence of her ” strong understanding of the brief” an aspect valued by brands since this means she possesses the ability to understand a brand’s essence and interpret them without fail in compelling visuals.
We host the budding UI designer below with 10 questions to discover her thoughts on Design, her values, and How she intends to keep growing?
1. How many years have you been designing, and what kick-started your love for the art?
Design has been my passion for a long time. After completing secondary school, I pursued computer training for two years before enrolling in university. However, I did not take it seriously until I graduated. My love for creativity has led me to believe that design is the perfect platform for me to bring ideas to life. Solving complex problems and making a meaningful impact is my ultimate goal. I am confident that design will help me achieve this by simplifying complicated problems.
Sofiat lends her visual strength to popular fintech brand Zeddpay
2. How do you actively work on improving your design skills and building your creative muscles?
I do tell people, I can’t go a day without checking Pinterest, I sleep, wake & eat on Pinterest. Even when I don’t design I go there to study designs. I use it to learn about designs, research new trends and techniques, and even analyze and deconstruct existing designs to better understand how they adhere to design principles and achieve their intended effects. I frequently practice my design skills to broaden my creativity, exploring various design areas rather than limiting myself to just branding or product design. This approach has helped me develop different skill sets and fostered creative thinking in many different ways
3. If you weren’t pursuing a career in design, which profession would you be pursuing instead?
I would be an Anatomist. My goals and passion for solving people’s problems drives me to minimize their stress and discomfort.
Sofiat redefines the perception of woodland vegetable EWEDU
Image Credit: Sofiat Amoke Archives.
4. How did you hear about NGD?
I have been a member of NGD since 2020 and was active in 2020/2021, mainly doing brand design solo. However, my involvement decreased in 2022 due to adding Product design to my skill set and working full-time at a different companies. Juggling all of these responsibilities has been challenging. NGD, is one of the best platform I would recommend for every tech newbie who are dedicated to make a difference.
5. Did you believe you would win the competition? What was the most challenging part of this project?
It’s natural to have high expectations and at the same time being scared when taking on a challenge, regardless of people who you’re competing with. This mindset keeps me positive and motivated to provide my best effort. I wasn’t surprised because I knew I had put in the work by understanding the brief and giving it my all.
Sofiat Amoke’s winning UI design for the NGD Pro level UI Competition.
Image Credit: NGD UI pro level competition 2023
6. How did you achieve the easy going style of your deliverable for the competition?
Achieving a design aesthetic of simplicity involved a purpose-driven mindset, intentional design choices, and a focus on enhancing the user experience. By embracing minimalistic elements, typography, strategic white space, and a limited color palette, I created a design that effectively conveyed its message while maintaining a visually clean and uncluttered appearance.
Sofiat takes the judge along for a detailed documentation journey on her work process.
7. Skill development or winning clients, What’s most important to Sofiat Amoke now?
At this stage in my professional journey, I put a greater emphasis on my abilities and the value I bring, with the understanding that monetary rewards will follow. It is essential to excel and improve one’s skills since being a better professional usually coincides with better compensation. Personal and professional development is a significant factor in boosting one’s earning potential. As a novice, it is vital to prioritize learning and growing before thinking about financial gain. Those who appreciate your worth will undoubtedly reward you accordingly. Putting too much focus on financial gains can lead to dissatisfaction or exhaustion.
8. What resources crucial to your career do you lack now?
For now, there are no design resources I need, that I don’t have access to.
9. Is design a side hustle?
Design isn’t a side hustle, it’s a career. Newbies should evaluate their long-term goals, commitment, and passion for design. If they feel passionate about design and see its potential for personal and professional growth, they may consider taking it more seriously as a primary pursuit. This mindset helps individuals to fully immerse themselves in design, leverage their skills, and explore the possibilities and rewards that design offers.
What if you could earn rewards easily from every call you make? Sofiat’s enticing design for the Callux app invites you to try out this feature.
10. Summaries what the next five years in your career
In the next five years, I see myself flourishing as a highly skilled and sought-after designer, making significant & meaningful impact & contributions to the design field, supporting, encouraging and pushing the newbies in starting their career in designs.